EP0869102B1 - Process and apparatus for preparing polycrystalline silicon and process for preparing silicon substrate for solar cell - Google Patents
Process and apparatus for preparing polycrystalline silicon and process for preparing silicon substrate for solar cell Download PDFInfo
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- EP0869102B1 EP0869102B1 EP96933633A EP96933633A EP0869102B1 EP 0869102 B1 EP0869102 B1 EP 0869102B1 EP 96933633 A EP96933633 A EP 96933633A EP 96933633 A EP96933633 A EP 96933633A EP 0869102 B1 EP0869102 B1 EP 0869102B1
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- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- melt
- silicon
- ingot
- process according
- mold
- Prior art date
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- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims description 86
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims description 84
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 title claims description 84
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 56
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title claims description 45
- 229910021420 polycrystalline silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims description 41
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 title 1
- 239000000155 melt Substances 0.000 claims description 48
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 44
- 238000007711 solidification Methods 0.000 claims description 34
- 230000008023 solidification Effects 0.000 claims description 34
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 33
- XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Argon Chemical compound [Ar] XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 26
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 19
- 238000002844 melting Methods 0.000 claims description 19
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 18
- 230000001590 oxidative effect Effects 0.000 claims description 18
- 238000003723 Smelting Methods 0.000 claims description 17
- ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Boron Chemical compound [B] ZOXJGFHDIHLPTG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 16
- 229910052796 boron Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 16
- 239000012535 impurity Substances 0.000 claims description 16
- 239000000377 silicon dioxide Substances 0.000 claims description 16
- 229910052786 argon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Phosphorus Chemical compound [P] OAICVXFJPJFONN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052681 coesite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052906 cristobalite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052698 phosphorus Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000011574 phosphorus Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052814 silicon oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052682 stishovite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910052905 tridymite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 12
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910052799 carbon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910002804 graphite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000010439 graphite Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000008018 melting Effects 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000007664 blowing Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000001704 evaporation Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000008020 evaporation Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000002829 reductive effect Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005266 casting Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005507 spraying Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910007277 Si3 N4 Inorganic materials 0.000 claims 1
- 235000012431 wafers Nutrition 0.000 description 41
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Chemical compound O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 8
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 7
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 7
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 6
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 239000013078 crystal Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000010310 metallurgical process Methods 0.000 description 5
- 239000002994 raw material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000007858 starting material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000001311 chemical methods and process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000003344 environmental pollutant Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 4
- 231100000719 pollutant Toxicity 0.000 description 4
- 229910052581 Si3N4 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 3
- VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrochloric acid Chemical compound Cl VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000005229 chemical vapour deposition Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000007796 conventional method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010894 electron beam technology Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011261 inert gas Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000001556 precipitation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004857 zone melting Methods 0.000 description 2
- VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-M Chloride anion Chemical compound [Cl-] VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 1
- BLRPTPMANUNPDV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silane Chemical compound [SiH4] BLRPTPMANUNPDV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 241001062472 Stokellia anisodon Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000003575 carbonaceous material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007795 chemical reaction product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003638 chemical reducing agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052593 corundum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000009792 diffusion process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005485 electric heating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005265 energy consumption Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000008187 granular material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002440 industrial waste Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000011835 investigation Methods 0.000 description 1
- CPLXHLVBOLITMK-UHFFFAOYSA-N magnesium oxide Inorganic materials [Mg]=O CPLXHLVBOLITMK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000006082 mold release agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920005591 polysilicon Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010298 pulverizing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000746 purification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001105 regulatory effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013341 scale-up Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910000077 silane Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011863 silicon-based powder Substances 0.000 description 1
- ZDHXKXAHOVTTAH-UHFFFAOYSA-N trichlorosilane Chemical compound Cl[SiH](Cl)Cl ZDHXKXAHOVTTAH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000005052 trichlorosilane Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910001845 yogo sapphire Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
- C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C30B29/00—Single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure characterised by the material or by their shape
- C30B29/02—Elements
- C30B29/06—Silicon
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
- C01B33/00—Silicon; Compounds thereof
- C01B33/02—Silicon
- C01B33/021—Preparation
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C30—CRYSTAL GROWTH
- C30B—SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C30B11/00—Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
- H01L31/1804—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
- H01L31/182—Special manufacturing methods for polycrystalline Si, e.g. Si ribbon, poly Si ingots, thin films of polycrystalline Si
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y02E10/546—Polycrystalline silicon PV cells
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
- Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
Definitions
- This invention relates to a process and apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon and a process for manufacturing a silicon wafer for a solar cell.
- this invention pertains to a technique which employs metallic silicon or silicon oxide as a starting material and permits the continuous flow production from polycrystalline silicon to an end product, that is, a polycrystalline silicon wafer for a solar cell.
- the residue is reacted with a hydrogen gas, whereby high-purity silicon is precipitated from the gas by the so-called CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method.
- the high-purity silicon therefore becomes only an aggregate of silicon grains owing to the weak bonding power between crystal grains.
- the boron contained in the high-purity silicon forming the aggregate is reduced even in the order of 0.001 ppm and does not reach the concentration necessary for satisfying the specific resistivity of 0.5 to 1.5 ohm ⁇ cm which is the specification for P-type semiconductor wafer.
- Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO 62-252393 discloses a process in which a starting material silicon, which is once used as a semiconductor but disposed as an electron industry waste, is subjected to zone melting by plasma jet generated by a mixed gas of argon, hydrogen and oxygen. This process aims principally at the use of an industrial waste so that it does not become a mainly-employed technique suited for mass production of a silicon wafer.
- silicon is used as a raw material, its purity has been once increased so that the process is only a variation of the above-described cumbersome manufacturing process.
- the inventors of the present invention have carried out an extensive investigation, paying attention to obtaining the maximum economic effects without using a chemical process but only a metallurgical process, leading to the completion of the present invention.
- a process for the preparation of polycrystalline silicon which comprises setting a phosphorus concentration of the melt at 0.3 ppm or less and a boron concentration at 0.6 ppm or less or a carbon concentration at 10 ppm or less.
- the present invention also relates to an apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon.
- an apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon which comprises heating means for melting or heating metallic-grade silicon, a retaining container for retaining molten metallic silicon, a first directional solidification mold in which the melt is cast from the retaining container, a vacuum chamber for removing phosphorus by evaporation, said chamber surrounding the retaining container and the first mold, re-melting means for re-melting or heating a portion of the ingot from the first mold, a smelting container for retaining the re-melt, a nozzle for blowing or spraying an oxidizing gas, hydrogen gas or a mixed gas of hydrogen and argon to the re-melt in the smelting container and a second directional solidification mold for forming the deoxidized re-melt into a cast ingot.
- an apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon wherein the pressure in the above-described vacuum chamber is set at 1.33Pa (10 -3 torr) or lower, the retaining container is a water-cooling jacket made of copper or a graphite crucible; and the smelting container is a crucible made of SiO 2 , or an SiO 2 lined crucible.
- thermoforming means is an electron gun; or the above-described re-melting means is a plasma torch or a DC arc source.
- an apparatus for the preparation of polycrystalline silicon wherein the above-described first and second molds have side walls formed of a heat insulating material and have a bottom formed of a water cooling jacket; and a heating source for heating the cast melt is disposed above the molds; or a W/H ratio, that is, the ratio of the diameter W to the height H of said mold is set at greater than 0.5.
- a process for the manufacture of a silicon wafer for a solar cell which comprises slicing an ingot of polycrystalline silicon, which has been obtained by any one of the above-described processes, to a thickness of 100 to 450 ⁇ m.
- polycrystalline silicon or a silicon wafer for a solar cell is manufactured by any one of the above-described methods or apparatuses so that the component adjustment of high-purity silicon, which is indispensable in the conventional method, is not required.
- the present invention also makes it possible to reduce the unnecessary consumption of energy. Since not a chemical process which is characterized by the generation of a large amount of pollutants but only a metallurgical process is adopted, the present invention makes it possible to enlarge the production equipment. As a result, a silicon wafer for a solar cell having excellent photoelectric transfer efficiency can be provided at a cost by far lower than the conventional one.
- polycrystalline silicon obtained by the enforcement of the present invention can be used effectively not only for the manufacture of a wafer but also for the use as a raw material for iron manufacture or the like.
- FIG. 1 one embodiment of the manufacturing process of polycrystalline silicon and a silicon wafer for a solar cell according to the present invention is shown together in one flow chart (manufacture of the wafer is shown, enclosed with a dotted line).
- metallic silicon having a relatively low purity (99.5 wt.% Si) is charged in a retaining container made of graphite or a water-cooling retaining container made of copper and then melted under vacuum.
- heating may be conducted making use of the methods known to date such as gas heating or electric heating, with heating by an electron gun being most preferred.
- the metallic silicon so melted is maintained for a predetermined time (for example, 30 to 60 minutes) in the above retaining container at a temperature not lower than 1450° C but not higher than 1900° C, whereby phosphorus and aluminum, among impurity elements contained in the melt, are removed by evaporation (vacuum smelting). It is preferred that the phosphorus concentration in the melt is 0.3 ppm or less.
- the melt is cast into a first cast and is cooled upwardly from the bottom so that the moving rate of solidification interface will be 5 mm/min. As a result, an ingot in which the melt having concentrated impurity elements has been solidified last is obtained.
- the upper 30% portion of the ingot having the concentrated impurity elements therein is removed by cutting.
- the remaining portion of the ingot is charged in a melt furnace equipped with, for example, a plasma arc, whereby the ingot is re-melted.
- the heating means is not limited to the plasma arc.
- the melt is heated to a temperature not lower than 1450 ° C and at the same time is reacted with an oxidizing gas atmosphere, whereby boron and carbon are removed from the melt as oxides (oxidative smelting).
- an argon gas or a mixed gas of argon and hydrogen is blown into the melt for a predetermined time.
- oxygen in the melt is deoxidized to the level not higher than 10 ppm.
- the above-described oxidative smelting may be carried out either in a vacuum chamber or in the air.
- the deoxidized melt is then cast into a second mold coated with a mold releasing agent, followed by directional solidification, whereby a final ingot is obtained.
- Impurity elements exist in the concentrated form in the upper portion of the ingot so that the portion (generally, 20% or so) is removed by cutting and the remaining portion is provided as a product of polycrystalline silicon.
- Metallic-grade silicon which is a starting material, is generally available by reductive smelting of silicon oxide so that the use of silicon oxide as a starting material is also added to the present invention.
- Any known methods can be employed to smelt silicon oxide into that having a purity on the same level with that of the metallic-grade silicon used in the first step of the present invention.
- silicon oxide is melted and reduced by using a carboneous material as a reducing agent.
- this process makes it possible to omit some of the apparatuses and brings about effects for reducing energy consumption, whereby polycrystalline silicon and a silicon wafer for a solar cell on the same level with those obtained by the above-described process of the present invention are available at a lower cost.
- boron and carbon removal is conducted by those who prepare metallic silicon, operations subsequent to it can be carried out more easily by the manufacturer of polycrystalline silicon or wafer.
- the reason for setting the moving rate of the solidification interface at 5 mm/min or lower in the case of the first mold and at 2 mm/min in the case of the second mold is because moving rates higher than the above disturb sufficient concentration of impurity metal elements in the upper part of the ingot.
- the reason for cutting the ingot at a height not lower than 70% from the bottom of the ingot is because the target composition as polycrystalline silicon can be attained at the remaining lower portion.
- the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber is set at 10-3 torr or higher because it is suited for phosphorus removal by evaporation judging from the vapor pressure of phosphorus in metallic silicon.
- the phosphorus concentration of the melt is set at 0.3 ppm or lower in order to secure stable operation of solar cells, while the boron concentration of the melt is set at 0.6 ppm or lower in order to obtain polycrystalline silicon suited for a P-type semiconductor wafer.
- the carbon concentration set at 10 ppm or lower makes it possible to suppress the precipitation of SiC in silicon crystals, thereby preventing the lowering in the photoelectric transfer efficiency.
- a copper-made water-cooling jacket or a graphite crucible is employed as the above-described retaining container upon melting of metallic silicon and an SiO 2 crucible or SiO 2 stamped or lined crucible is used as the above-described smelting container, because silicon tends to react with other substances and when a crucible made of another substance is used, component elements of the substance is mixed in silicon.
- inexpensive Al 2 O 3 , MgO, graphite or the like can be employed for the lining of the refractory, because if impurities are mixed in, they can be removed at the subsequent step.
- the mold releasing agent of the mold used for solidification is specified to SiO 2 or Si 3 N 4 because of the same reason. Since the molten silicon expands by 10% in volume when solidified, the mold releasing agent is necessary for preventing the stress from remaining on the ingot.
- an apparatus according to the present invention is constructed so that as shown in FIG. 2, the melt 2 of metallic-grade silicon 1 flows to the subsequent stage almost continuously except at the time of solidification.
- This structure makes it possible to carry out preparation smoothly and to shorten the operation time, leading to the reduction in the manufacturing cost.
- the apparatuses used in the present invention are operated based on only the metallurgical process, they can be enlarged considerably and are free from generation of pollutants. Cost reduction by mass production can also be expected.
- the oxidizing atmosphere for the removal of boron and carbon from the melt 2 is not required to have high acidifying power.
- Preferred as the oxidizing gas is H 2 O or CO 2 .
- acidifying power is high, an SiO 2 film is formed on the surface of the melt, which hinders the removal of boron and CO 2 .
- injection of arc from a plasma torch 4 or DC arc source is necessary for the removal of such a film.
- the above-described oxidizing gas may be blown directly into the melt.
- the material of a nozzle 5 from which the oxidizing gas is blown is limited to graphite or SiO 2 , because other materials contaminate the melt 2.
- a known multi-wire saw or multi-blade saw can be used without problems.
- the reason why the thickness of the thin plate is set at 100 to 450 ⁇ m is because the plate is too weak at the thickness less than 100 ⁇ m, while it has lowered photoelectric transfer efficiency at the thickness exceeding 450 ⁇ m.
- an electron gun 3 of 300 KW in output was installed on the upper part of a vacuum chamber 18.
- Metallic-grade silicon 1 was fed to a retaining container 19 (which is also called a melting furnace) made of graphite at 10 kg/hour and was melted. At this time, the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 18 was 10 -5 torr. From the melt 2, a portion of phosphorus and aluminum elements were evaporated and removed. The remaining melt 2 was then cast into a water-cooling type copper-made mold 9. While the surface of the melt was exposed to electron beam 3 to maintain the molten state, the melt was solidified from the bottom at a solidification interface moving rate of 1 mm/min, whereby 50 kg of an ingot 6 were obtained.
- the upper 20% portion of the ingot 6 (the portion A) was removed by cutting to obtain an ingot having a chemical composition as shown in Table 1.
- the processes for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon wafers for solar cells according to the present invention are free from the source-wise problem (in other words, shortage in raw materials does not occur), do not by-produce pollutants and are essentially suited to the scale up of the equipment and mass production because of a metallurgical technique employed. It is therefore possible to supply wafers stably even if the demand for solar cells will increase by several hundred times in future.
- about 20 wt.% of losses and inferior products appear as a result of pulverization or the like.
- Continuous and consistent manufacture from silicon to wafers according to the present invention reduces losses, whereby electricity and energy can be used effectively.
- the price of the silicon wafer available in the enforcement of the present invention can be reduced to half of that of the conventional product, which makes it possible to allow the solar cell to function economically as an electricity generating apparatus.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
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- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Silicon Compounds (AREA)
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP1996/002965 WO1998016466A1 (fr) | 1996-10-14 | 1996-10-14 | Procede et appareil de preparation de silicium polycristallin et procede de preparation d'un substrat en silicium pour cellule solaire |
CA002211028A CA2211028C (en) | 1996-10-14 | 1996-10-14 | Process and apparatus for manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, and process for manufacturing silicon wafer for solar cell |
NO974454A NO974454L (no) | 1996-10-14 | 1997-09-26 | FremgangsmÕte og anordning for fremstilling av polykrystallinsk silisium og fremgangsmÕte ved fremstilling av silisiumplater for solceller |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0869102A1 EP0869102A1 (en) | 1998-10-07 |
EP0869102A4 EP0869102A4 (en) | 1998-12-23 |
EP0869102B1 true EP0869102B1 (en) | 2002-05-22 |
Family
ID=27170423
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP96933633A Revoked EP0869102B1 (en) | 1996-10-14 | 1996-10-14 | Process and apparatus for preparing polycrystalline silicon and process for preparing silicon substrate for solar cell |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0869102B1 (ja) |
WO (1) | WO1998016466A1 (ja) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102006027273B3 (de) * | 2006-06-09 | 2007-10-25 | Adensis Gmbh | Verfahren zur Gewinnung von Reinstsilizium |
DE102008031388A1 (de) | 2008-07-02 | 2010-01-07 | Adensis Gmbh | Verfahren zur Gewinnung von Reinstsilizium |
DE102008033122A1 (de) | 2008-07-15 | 2010-01-21 | Adensis Gmbh | Verfahren zur Gewinnung von Reinstsilizium |
CN101311343B (zh) * | 2008-02-26 | 2010-12-08 | 上海晨安电炉制造有限公司 | 一种适于制造大尺寸高纯度多晶硅铸锭的真空炉 |
US8021483B2 (en) | 2002-02-20 | 2011-09-20 | Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation | Flowable chips and methods for the preparation and use of same, and apparatus for use in the methods |
CN103318893A (zh) * | 2013-06-19 | 2013-09-25 | 青岛隆盛晶硅科技有限公司 | 多晶硅旋转凝固分离杂质的方法 |
Families Citing this family (17)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP3885452B2 (ja) | 1999-04-30 | 2007-02-21 | 三菱マテリアル株式会社 | 結晶シリコンの製造方法 |
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WO2010013484A1 (ja) | 2008-08-01 | 2010-02-04 | 株式会社アルバック | 金属の精製方法 |
KR101318239B1 (ko) | 2008-08-12 | 2013-10-15 | 가부시키가이샤 아루박 | 실리콘의 정제 방법 |
DE102009014562A1 (de) | 2009-03-16 | 2010-09-23 | Schmid Silicon Technology Gmbh | Aufreinigung von metallurgischem Silizium |
JP5275110B2 (ja) * | 2009-03-30 | 2013-08-28 | コスモ石油株式会社 | 多結晶シリコンインゴットの製造方法 |
US8562932B2 (en) | 2009-08-21 | 2013-10-22 | Silicor Materials Inc. | Method of purifying silicon utilizing cascading process |
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KR101222175B1 (ko) * | 2011-03-31 | 2013-01-14 | 연세대학교 산학협력단 | 슬래그와 실리콘의 밀도차이를 이용한 MG-Si중 불순물의 정련 방법 |
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DE3210141A1 (de) * | 1982-03-19 | 1983-09-22 | Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München | Verfahren zum herstellen von fuer insbesondere solarzellen verwendbarem silicium |
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JP3000109B2 (ja) * | 1990-09-20 | 2000-01-17 | 株式会社住友シチックス尼崎 | 高純度シリコン鋳塊の製造方法 |
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1996
- 1996-10-14 WO PCT/JP1996/002965 patent/WO1998016466A1/ja not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1996-10-14 EP EP96933633A patent/EP0869102B1/en not_active Revoked
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US8021483B2 (en) | 2002-02-20 | 2011-09-20 | Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation | Flowable chips and methods for the preparation and use of same, and apparatus for use in the methods |
DE102006027273B3 (de) * | 2006-06-09 | 2007-10-25 | Adensis Gmbh | Verfahren zur Gewinnung von Reinstsilizium |
CN101311343B (zh) * | 2008-02-26 | 2010-12-08 | 上海晨安电炉制造有限公司 | 一种适于制造大尺寸高纯度多晶硅铸锭的真空炉 |
DE102008031388A1 (de) | 2008-07-02 | 2010-01-07 | Adensis Gmbh | Verfahren zur Gewinnung von Reinstsilizium |
DE102008033122A1 (de) | 2008-07-15 | 2010-01-21 | Adensis Gmbh | Verfahren zur Gewinnung von Reinstsilizium |
CN103318893A (zh) * | 2013-06-19 | 2013-09-25 | 青岛隆盛晶硅科技有限公司 | 多晶硅旋转凝固分离杂质的方法 |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0869102A4 (en) | 1998-12-23 |
EP0869102A1 (en) | 1998-10-07 |
WO1998016466A1 (fr) | 1998-04-23 |
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